


Workout

by mostlyartsy (zuko_yipyip)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-06-25 18:11:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15646188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zuko_yipyip/pseuds/mostlyartsy
Summary: Levi gets a little distracted during his workout.UPDATE: Chapter 2 just added!





	1. Workout

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if there was any concept of benchpress during these times, lol. This is my first drabble. Enjoy!

Levi sat hunched, resting between bench press sets. This time their hideout was an abandoned manor with its own indoor gym – a rare luxury that the members of his squad eagerly took advantage of. Jean was doing curls not ten feet away while Mikasa was off in the corner doing three hundred pound squats. Levi swiped the sweat from his brow and laid back down so that the planes of his back were level against the bench. With a grunt, he hoisted the bar straight above his chest, which bore one hundred pounds at each end. 

The weight was familiar and almost welcome. He exhaled as he lowered it to his chest, and inhaled with the push back up. Every subsequent lower and lift came with measured breathing, and he repeated the motions until the eighth rep. Then he held the bar in the air for a moment longer before setting it back onto its holster. Levi sat up and grabbed his towel from the floor to wipe his forehead. He rested for two minutes, twisting his torso or staring into space until he was ready to do it all over again. He settled onto his back and gripped the bar once more.

By the time Levi had finished all of his sets, Jean was stretching, with one arm straight as a board while the other was bent to hold it in place. Mikasa was still at it … and she had added a hundred pounds. Levi couldn’t help but be a little impressed. He watched with interest as her powerful legs slowly lowered, bearing the burden on her shoulders until her knees settled at a sharp angle, and as they surged back up again in an absurd demonstration of strength. Her gaze was hard and directed ahead while beads of sweat rolled down her temples. 

Her raw power was striking. _She_ was striking. 

Levi knew that he was starting to stare, so he played with the edges of his towel. He heard her continue to work the load, and now his senses were attuned to her presence, to her exact position in the room and the sounds coming from it. He peeked from the corner of his eye. Cords of muscle ran along her arms, legs, and torso, clenching and releasing in rhythm. Even her neck was solid, and the fingers gripping the bar looked like they could choke a man. Levi dismissed the sudden, unbidden thought of a chokehold in Mikasa’s merciless fingers.

Levi had accepted long ago that he was to be constantly surrounded by hot, tall people. He didn’t know what it was about the Survey Corps that drew in soldiers who could be models in another, Titan-free life. Erwin? Poised and handsome. Jean? Gruff and good-looking, though not his type. Mikasa? Dangerous and beautiful. Even Eren might have some looks if he weren’t such a little shithead.

The thought of Eren made him sour. What did she see in him? She stood at the apex of humanity and was the only one who could rival Levi himself. The discovery of their shared ancestry was revealing but somehow unsurprising. Perhaps Levi had known on some level that she was the other side of his same, dark coin. When paired against each other during training, they assaulted one another with blows that would kill anyone else. On the same side, they were ungodly forces that left destruction in their wake. Working together was so natural, it required no thought. But her one-track mind when it came to her adoptive “brother” was annoying.

Mikasa finished her last rep and set her weights down on the ground with a grunt.

“Hey Mikasa, the Captain’s been checking you out.”

Levi jerked in surprise to see Jean smirking at him, and the captain glared daggers at his subordinate. Jean hardly looked contrite. Then Levi turned a deliberately bored gaze back to Mikasa to answer whatever stupid thing she had to say.

She just raised an eyebrow at him.

This gave him nothing to respond to, and any offhand witticisms deserted him. He felt himself grow warm in spite of himself.

Jean howled with laughter.

“Shut up, kid. Her form is good and she can lift three of you. Learn a thing or two.”

Jean choked on his laugh and started coughing.

Good. Levi had managed to say something. He returned defiant eyes to Mikasa. Better to face the issue head on than to look pointedly away and cement his guilt.

Mikasa’s appraising gaze locked against his challenging one.

Finally, Mikasa was the first to look away. She excused herself by addressing the blank stretch of wall next to Levi, now refusing to meet his eyes. The light blush creeping across her cheeks did not escape his notice.


	2. Post-Workout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Levi gets caught looking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who liked/reviewed part 1!! I made a small edit to the end of Part I, FYI.

_Mikasa’s appraising gaze locked against his challenging one._

_Finally, Mikasa looked away. She excused herself by addressing the blank stretch of wall next to Levi, now refusing to meet his eyes. The light blush creeping across her cheeks did not escape his notice._

Levi could hardly believe his luck. A minute ago, he had been on the hot seat, with Jean snickering and Mikasa giving him a questioning, raised eyebrow. But Levi had somehow managed to turn the tables, leaving Jean cowed and Mikasa with a pretty flush on her cheeks. He schooled his features so that none of his triumph would display on his face.

Mikasa was crouched and gathering her things. She straightened with her bag and made to leave.

“Mikasa,” Levi said in a low voice.

She halted and turned to him, her cheeks now unmistakably pink.

“…Captain?”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” he drawled.

She blinked, looked down at the things in her hand and back to the squat rack. She hadn’t left anything.

“Sir?”

“You weights,” Levi said, practically purring. Mikasa’s eyes widened.

“Are you just going to leave them on the bar? The next poor sod who wants to squat is going to find it much too heavy. What if Jean wants to use it next?”

Levi knew that he was playing a dangerous game, especially when Jean was right there. He heard the soldier in question huff and mutter, “Really?” from his corner.

“Ah,” she said. She set her things down and returned to the bar, and made quick work of removing the clamps and heavy weights from each end, and then putting them away in their respective spots.

She turned back to him and asked with steel returning to her voice, “May I leave now?”

Levi briefly considered against his next response given their audience, but decided to say it anyway. “May I leave now, _what?”_

Mikasa set her jaw. “May I leave now, _sir?”_

“You’re dismissed.”

Mikasa strode quickly out of the room.

As soon as she had left, Jean opened his big mouth, as Levi knew he would.

“Wow.”

“Profound as always, Kirschtein.”

“I can’t believe you just openly hit on a subordinate.”

“You’re dizzy. You must’ve lifted too much.”

“I know what I saw,” Jean said, crossing his arms. “You were hitting on Mikasa.”

Levi regarded him coolly.

“The Captain Levi version of it anyway,” Jean said. “It was quite a spectacle. It was an almost out of body experience witnessing whatever _that_ was.”

“The asinine things coming out of your mouth are the true spectacle, and I’ll give you an out of body experience when I kick the spirit out of your ass,” Levi snapped.

“I mean, I get it.”

Levi scowled.

“But,” Jean starting to smirk now, “Aren’t you like… old?”

“Would you like to be punched in the face?” Levi asked. “Because it seems to me like you’re begging for a fist in your face.”

Jean chuckled. “And now he’s threatening a subordinate. What is it, Captain? Do you want to hit me or hit on me?”

When he saw Levi’s eyes narrow, he laughed and said, “Don’t worry. I didn’t see anything.”

“Right,” Levi bit out. “Because there was nothing to see.”

“Uh huh.” Jean gave an exaggerated wink and hummed as he gathered his things, got up, and sauntered toward the exit. At the door, he waved and sang, “Bye Captain!”

Levi cursed. What the hell just happened?

*

Levi paced in his study, replaying the events in his mind and becoming more irate by the minute. This never would’ve happened if he hadn’t been so careless in his staring, letting _Jean_ of all people notice. Even if he did feel a strange pull toward Mikasa, he never would have voiced or acted upon that attraction. He had to maintain order, and a shift in dynamic – whether she reciprocated or became awkward in her rejection – would bring disarray to both his life and his squad’s, least of all because it was inappropriate. He had to prioritize his squad above all else.

And what about Mikasa? She had practically flown out of the room. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to cringe. He could have told Jean off and been done with it, but then he had to goad her with that ridiculous tone. The only thing he could think of that might have compelled him to act in such a way was the sight of her unexpected blush. 

Levi had immediately felt a rush of confidence when he had seen her reaction, but what if she had just been blushing out of embarrassment? She was probably just taken aback at the notion of being ogled by her superior officer and didn’t know how to react. Levi groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

*

The next day, he avoided Mikasa, and perhaps she avoided him. If they saw each other, they did not acknowledge one another. Meanwhile, Jean popped up unexpectedly throughout the day and issued overly loud greetings, exclaiming, “Hi Captain!” “Good afternoon, Captain!” “The _view_ is beautiful today, isn’t it, Captain?” Levi grimaced and ignored him.

He was distracted until nightfall thinking about what he had to do.

Levi took an early dinner in his study.

After Mikasa, Armin, and Eren had finished their dinner, they walked down the hall and Captain Levi just so happened to approach from the opposite way. It was not like he had timed it or anything.

“Captain!” Armin said cheerily.

“Armin,” Levi nodded. He ignored Eren, and looked straight at Mikasa.

“Mikasa, a word?”

The other two looked at Mikasa curiously. She just nodded and followed him.

When they reached his study, Levi gestured to the seat in front of his desk. “Please sit.”

She did. Levi took his seat opposite and regarded her.

She eyed the side of the table, her mouth set in a straight line. She’s nervous, he realized, and felt even more guilt wash over him.

“Mikasa,” Levi said in an uncharacteristically soft voice.

Her eyes flickered up.

“I owe you an apology.”

“Sir?”

“I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable in the gym yesterday. I think there was a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding …”

“Yes. Kirschtein expressed that … well, you heard what he said,” Levi said dismissively. He paused to study her reaction. It was blank.

“I just wanted to make clear that what he said was not the case, as that would have been inappropriate.”

“…I see.”

Levi waited for her to say anything more, but she was silent.

He was not good at this sort of thing. He didn’t know what else to say.

“Do you, ah, have any questions?”

“No, sir.”

“So are we understood?”

“Yes. Sir.”

Levi nodded, ignoring the space between her last affirmation and the honorary address. He supposed that he deserved the jab after his behavior yesterday. Overall, This was going more smoothly than expected.

“Good. Thank you, Mikasa.”

He began drumming his fingers on his desk, then stopped.

“I suppose that since we are alone, I can take this opportunity to commend you on your efforts on the field and in training.” His serious gaze did not leave hers as he said, “You are truly exceptional, Mikasa.” 

She held her breath at the unusual praise.

“That’s just a fact.” He glanced down and back up again, and continued in his low, gravelly voice, “Hone and perfect your skills. Do not compare yourself against any other soldier. Continue to improve against the standards that you set for yourself. It may not be fair what the world asks of us, but it depends on us all the same. I believe that you are one of the very few capable of shouldering that responsibility.”

Mikasa flushed and thanked him quietly.

“You’re free to go.”

Mikasa nodded. Levi wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but she seemed hesitant to leave. 

Then she got up and went to the door.

She paused when her hand rested on the handle.

“Captain Levi, I do have a question.”

Levi glanced up, and his heartbeat began to accelerate. He tried to maintain outward calm.

“Yes?”

She turned back to face him. “Why were you watching me yesterday?”

He hadn’t expected her to be so blunt.

“Excuse me?”

“If you weren’t …” Mikasa seemed unable to say the words. “You know,” Mikasa said, waving her hand vaguely, “why would Jean make that comment?”

Levi quickly tried to come up with an excuse. He really should have prepared a response, but he hadn’t expected her to bring it up so directly. She stood rooted by the door, waiting for an answer.

“I was checking your form,” Levi said finally. “You can’t have bad posture when you’re lifting at that level. You could injure yourself.”

Mikasa’s eyes narrowed. Her form was impeccable, and everyone knew it. For the second time in two days, Levi and Mikasa engaged in a staring contest, but this time he was the first to look away. One of his hands rose up unconsciously to finger the cravat where it met his neck.

“I see…” she said.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Levi said with hard finality.

A beat. “Thank you for calling me here. It was considerate of you.”

Levi glanced back at her.

She was smirking. He had never seen Mikasa _smirk_ before. She needed to leave immediately. He nodded his dismissal and faced away, because he was tempted to undo the whole point of this meeting. 

“For the record,” she mused. Levi reluctantly looked up.

The coy smile still played at her lips. “I also think that you are _exceptional,_ Captain.”

With that, she turned the door handle and left.

This. Woman. 

Levi rested his forehead on steepled fingertips and inhaled and exhaled loudly through his nose.


	3. Push and Pull

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter in the Workout series. Thank you so much again to everyone who liked/reviewed the story so far! Hope you enjoy.
> 
> P.S. On a housekeeping note, I'm aware that the chapter summary and rating are outdated. I've tried a dozen different ways to update it but it never saves, aghh. Just imagine that the Chapter 2 done/ General audiences warning have been updated to Complete and Teen and Up. T_T

Levi was alone in the room with nothing but his thoughts and the words that Mikasa had left behind.  
  
_“I also think that you are_ exceptional, _Captain.”_  
  
The phrase was a marble that he rolled between his fingers and tossed up and down. It was putty, which he stretched, considered, wadded back into a ball, before pulling wide again. He had seen the amusement dancing in her eyes, which, coupled with that _tone,_ had sent a thrill up his spine to the back of his neck where tiny hairs leapt on end. Levi leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.  
  
The boldness is what made him puzzle over the phrasing. It was suggestive, sure, but in what way? Was she just giving him a pointed slap on the wrist for staring in the gym, or was it possible that humanity’s other greatest soldier, perhaps, … liked him?  
  
The idea of her “liking” anybody sounded trivial in their line of work where they'd be lucky to be alive to greet tomorrow. He mulled it over anyway. There was the possibility that he was still misreading things, but he doubted that even he could misinterpret _that_ tone of voice.  
  
Levi turned to methodology in the face of conflict. He mentally ticked off the possible scenarios:  
  
One, she liked him and wanted him to act on it.  
  
Two, she liked him but _didn’t_ want him to act on it.  
  
Or three, she was just fucking with him.  
  
Decidedly all bad options.  
  
Although he’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t enticed by the first. Alone in his study, he indulged in the treacherous thought of being with her, of being swept into a whirlwind of a relationship that only the two of them could produce. The unpredictable force beckoned him, but in its path stood the age-old conflict of interests and the mandates of duty and appearances.  
  
The second scenario was possible -she had only been forward after he had told her that they couldn’t be together. Perhaps that created a barrier that emboldened to show her cards, knowing that she was safe on the other side. That potential annoyed him, but not as much as the last. The thought that she might just be fucking with him invoked a disagreeable mix of emotions that Levi was not prepared to explore.  
  
_“I also think that you are_ exceptional, _Captain.”_  
  
No, she definitely liked him back. Or at the least, she was interested. _Mikasa_ was interested in him.  
  
He continued down this spiral of thought until a situation arose in his pants.  
  
Levi tsk’d and ran a hand through his hair. She was a subordinate, for Sina’s sake. This was wrong…  
  
And yet, he extracted a clean hand towel from the bottom drawer and set it on his desk. He ignored all of the voices shouting, _‘No!’_ and obliged the only one whispering, _‘Yes.’_  
  
_“I also think that you are_ exceptional, _Captain.”_  
  
_“Is that so?” Levi’s eyes rove over her form. “What is so exceptional, Mikasa?”_  
  
_She mimicked his glance-over with her own brazen surveyal. She crossed her arms and didn’t answer._  
  
_“Didn’t we just have a conversation about your abilities and potential? You have to communicate to be a leader. Or do you want to be stuck as a lowly foot soldier forever?”_  
  
_“Captain,” she deadpanned._  
  
_Humor colored his voice when he responded, “Mikasa.”_  
  
_“Don’t act like you’ve called me here for a professional reason.”_  
  
_The humor evaporated. “I thought that we had an understanding.”_  
  
_Mikasa stalked forward. She was a natural predator and, for once, Levi found himself without the upper hand._  
  
_Her hands bit down on his desk and she stared at him, hard._  
  
_“I think we do,” she said._  
  
_Then she lifted a leg, and suddenly she was clambering onto his desk on all fours. His face slackened in surprise. She crawled to the edge and took a moment to tower over him, and Levi was very glad that the door was closed. Her hand shot out and closed around his cravat, yanking him forward. They did nothing but breathe and take in the other, knowing that they were on a precipice, about to tip the world into chaos._  
  
_His gaze dropped to her lips, and then back up. Her eyes, Levi observed, always held a quiet intensity that he had never seen in anyone else. She was so close, and his cravat was still clenched in her fist. He leaned forward, eyelids falling, when suddenly her palm was on his forehead, pressing back._  
  
_“What the hell –“_  
  
_Mikasa let out the breathiest of laughs and then shifted her hand from his forehead to his shoulder, again pressing back. She dipped her head to his neck, lips ghosting over the surface. Levi waited, not daring to move for fear that she would suddenly change her mind and retreat with hurried excuses. After a pause, it was clear that his worry was unfounded because a languid tongue trailed along his skin, setting his already heightened senses afire from both the pressure and cool air that danced along the path. Goosebumps erupting over his arms, his neck, and Levi suppressed a shiver. Suddenly her tongue was gone, and the loss was profound. Until teeth grazed the same spot._  
  
_“Mikasa,” Levi rasped._  
  
_She bit down._  
  
_The ache was perfect, creating a rush that jumpstarting his arms to wrap around her back and bottom, pulling her forward so that she slid off of the desk squarely onto his lap, onto the telling bulge. Mikasa’s wide eyes met his. Was she going to run off? Her eyes fell then, and rather than withdraw she gripped his bicep on one side and the armrest on the other, and shimmied onto him further. He hissed her name._  
  
_She rocked._  
  
_A groan rumbled out his throat and he grabbed her ass to pull her down harder…_  
  
*  
  
“You’re out of it today,” Hange said. “Have you gotten enough sleep?”  
  
“I’m fine,” Levi said.  
  
“Are you sure? I can check my cabinet. I’m sure I’ve got something that’ll get you right back into shape.”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Cranky too,” she chuckled. “How about some tea?”  
  
“Tea is fine,” he mumbled.  
  
“Hange knows best,” she trilled.  
  
“Don’t talk about yourself in the third person.”  
  
“Get it, Levi? It’s like mother knows best, but it’s _Hange –"_  
  
“Come along, crazy woman.” Levi strode past her. He wouldn’t waste his breath explaining that there was nothing to “get” when she was just swapping nouns.  
  
They passed the dining area where a gaggle of Scouts sat at a table. Jean and Connie exchanged jabs in a raucous argument while Eren interjected in sporadic outbursts. Armin laughed and Sasha watched in sleepy amusement with her chin resting on her palm. Mikasa sat at the end, leaning in toward the conversation with overly correct posture, listening but not contributing. In this mundane setting of peace and enjoyment, Levi realized that she looked out of place. Strenuous physical activity and high stakes were where Mikasa shined. But here, amongst friends, she was just an awkward young woman trying to fit in. She must have felt his gaze because her eyelashes suddenly fanned up and she was staring back at him. He muttered to Hange about hurrying up.  
  
__*  
  
Throughout the next few days, Levi once again avoided Mikasa. If she was in one part of a room, Levi occupied another. There were times when he had no choice but to interact with her, and in those situations he issued impersonal orders only.  
  
He had decided not pursue her.  
  
The decision was borne out of bitter necessity, but he continued to grant himself indulgences of the mind, which, however unfair to Mikasa, helped him make it through the day. He would spend an entire day without a word to her, but her likeness would float to him as he readied for bed. He might tell her to scrub the window harder during cleaning duty because her handiwork was lousy, but when he reached his study, her specter would burst through the door and punish him for speaking to her that way. These imaginings often got carried away, and he got a taste of fun without any of the repercussions.  
  
Meanwhile, Mikasa’s attitude toward his evasions evolved. At first, she had looked on with a quiet, contemplative look. He tried to imagine what she was thinking. She would probably reason that he had been temporarily chastened by their meeting, or that he was truly sorry for stepping out of bounds and wanted to give her space. But when things did not return to normal after a few days and he continued to limit their interactions to the bare minimum while hardly giving her a glance, Mikasa’s brow angled sharply in annoyance. He could feel her dark eyes boring into his back and following him across the room.  
  
After a week, Mikasa took action. She found excuses to be near or talk to him. One day, he was making his way back to his study when a familiar voice arrested him.  
  
“Captain Levi, could you spot me tonight?”  
  
Levi turned around slowly. If she thought that she could shame him or stir up some other reaction by bringing up the gym, she was mistaken.  
  
“You don’t need a spotter,” Levi said.  
  
“You were concerned about my form before.” She let the words sink in.  
  
“... Yes. And I determined that it was fine.”  
  
“Spotting is a standard safety procedure.”  
  
Always a master of her features, Mikasa’s expression was neutral as Levi fought to maintain his own bored façade. His heart drummed in his ears and he wanted to say yes, to go along with the little game and spot her, admire her strength, enjoy her company without anybody else around, until the inevitable pull between them brought them together at last. Or, easier, he could just grab her wrist and tug her into his office right now. The other option was the path of restraint that he had, admirably, he might add, been keeping on. His indecision stretched the silence.  
  
Finally, he said, “I’m busy. Ask someone else.”  
  
He turned and strode away before she could answer.  
  
*  
  
The next afternoon, Levi escaped to the stables and was brushing his horse. He was tired of humans. He was still annoyed by his latest interaction - Hange kept insisting that there was something afflicting him and Jean chose that moment to walk by and say, “It’s probably the stress. Even humanity’s strongest need stress relief sometimes.” He waggled his eyebrows and Levi glowered, leaving Hange to watch in puzzled amusement. Then Jean added, “You do look more constipated than usual, Captain.” _Enough,_ Levi had thought as he stuck out a foot that sent Jean flying to the floor. Levi stepped over a sprawled and groaning body to grab his coat. He merely waved when Hange asked where he was going. Horses didn’t ask questions. Horses didn’t give him overly meaningful looks, or try to break the delicate balance of order in his life. No, horses were good, quiet company.  
  
So when there was the unmistakable sound of boots padding on earth behind him, Levi was displeased.  
  
“Captain.”  
  
He paused at the sound of her voice, but continued brushing without turning around.  
  
Mikasa cleared her throat. “Captain Levi…”  
  
“I’m listening, brat.”  
  
He could hear her bristle. When she didn’t speak, he sighed and faced her.  
  
She was frowning, and a small crease stressed the middle of her brow.  
  
“What is it, Mikasa?”  
  
She exhaled and glanced to the side.  
  
“I’d like to train with you. One-on-one.”  
  
Levi gave her a level look. Everything became warped when they were close – the air, the ground on which they stood, their own bodies – all thrummed with restless energy. Levi was sure that she could feel it. Of course, he saw the value in training, but it was hard to stand next to her and hold a basic conversation without the shift taking hold. He didn’t like to think about how quickly he’d succumb to baser instincts if they were manhandling each another and mingling panting breaths.  
  
“Pass,” he said. _Besides, he’d already trained with her last night._  
  
Mikasa ground her teeth. “Why?”  
  
“I have other things to do. Ask someone else.”  
  
“Nobody else can train at my level.”  
  
“And you think that you can train at mine?”  
  
Mikasa let her eyes rove over him, from top to bottom, and Levi felt a sense of déjà vu.  
  
“Yes,” Mikasa said.  
  
“Hm.”  
  
“Let me show you,” she said, stepping forward.  
  
“I’ve already told you no.”  
  
A beat. “Why have you been avoiding me?”  
  
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Avoiding you? Just because I’m not lavishing you with more attention than any other brat – “  
  
Mikasa scoffed. “As if you didn’t start acting like a scared turtle after our meeting.”  
  
His next words came out slow. “I don’t know what you mean.”  
  
“We need to be at our best, Captain. Not dancing around each other. The team needs us. Eren and Armin need us – “  
  
Levi’s expression darkened. “Is that what this is about? I’ve been nothing but professional.”  
  
Mikasa rolled her eyes.  
  
“Captain, with all due respect, you can be dense.”  
  
Levi gave a “Tch,” turned back to his horse, and ran a hand down the mare’s back. “What do you want from me?”  
  
He expected a sharp answer like, _I want you to train with me, obviously._ But she was silent. She seemed to be weighing the question, giving it more significance than he’d intended.  
  
“Anything,” she said finally.  
  
“Anything?” Levi considered the word on his tongue and all of the possibilities that it held. Here they were again, on the precipice. And not just in his imagination this time.  
  
“And what if I choose to do nothing?” he asked.  
  
Apart from the soft sounds of the mare shifting from one foot to the other, the stable was quiet.  
  
When the silence became uncomfortable, she finally asked, “Is that what you want?”  
  
“It doesn’t matter what I want.”  
  
Mikasa’s face took on familiar determination as she marched forward with clenched fists. She took a deep breath. “It matters,” she said. “In fact, what you want, and what I want… I think that they’re the same.”  
  
Levi forced his breathing to remain steady. This was it, all he had to do was tip the balance -  
  
She huffed. “I have to do everything myself, don’t I?”  
  
Then she leaned in, invading his space. She paused a breath away from his lips and her eyes searched his, which widened. Her hovering made clear that he could pull away if he wanted to.  
  
_Fuck it._  
  
Levi closed the gap and his lips found hers. Mikasa gave a surprised gasp and he grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. His horse whinnied. Levi smiled into her mouth. Slowly, one of her hands made its way into his hair while the other traveled across his back.  
  
The kiss was hungry. Levi bit her lip, which fell open and gave his tongue entry. His hand on her waist trailed up, while the other dug into the small of her back.  
  
Mikasa broke the kiss. “Wait.” They both breathed heavily, and her eyes narrowed. “Why have you been pulling away when we could’ve been doing _this?”_  
  
Levi almost didn’t answer, but recognized that he owed her some explanation. “We’ve been doing _this_ ever since you left my office."  
  
For a moment, her brows stitched together in confusion. Then the heel of her palm rammed into his chest. He winced and stepped back.  
  
“What are you talking about?” she demanded.  
  
Levi patted himself off where she had hit him. Her arms crossed as she waited. “I’ve been imagining you,” he said slowly. Her frown slipped off as comprehension dawned. “You’ve been keeping me very busy, Mikasa.”  
  
A blush colored her cheeks. “All this time…” In an instant, she had stepped forward and closed the distance. Her hand draped over the back of his neck while her mouth descended on his ear. “You’re going to make up to me for lost time," she whispered. Her thumb caressed the spot on his neck, and a shiver shot from where she touched him. “Starting _now.”_  
  
Levi’s strong arms encircled her waist as he pulled her body against his. He had never been so willing to oblige an order.


End file.
